Ecomusée Maison de Pays en Bresse
La Maison de Pays en Bresse, an eco-museum located in Saint-Étienne-du-Bois, offers more than 2,000 m2 of precious testimonies on Bressane architecture and rural life of the past. Throughout the year, exhibitions and animations take place in this area dedicated to the preservation of heritage. Local.
A remarkable part of this ecomuseum is the Mangettes Farm, one of the oldest Sarrasine-fired brassane farms, dating from 1465. Saved from destruction in 1983, it was dismantled and rebuilt at the current site, along with three other operating buildings. Archives reveal the surprising practice of moving these Bressan houses, once considered as movable property, between villages when they are sold, seized or inherited.
A fascinating mystery surrounds the roofs of the beautiful traditional Bresse farms. Built with local materials such as torchis, peas, earth, oak and brick, these houses feature a distinctive element: the Saracen fireplace, a minaret open with Romanesque, Gothic or Oriental influences. These buildings, which appeared from the 13th century on the lands of the lords of Bâgé, are today around thirty, forming a unique heritage to discover within this region.